Sole-edge trimmer for boots and shoes



(No Model.)

C. H. HELMS.

Sole-Edge Trimmer fof""Boots aridsh-ost N0.- 234,'869. Patented Nov. 30,1880,

M. /a A 5% A.

CHARLES H. HELMS, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOGEORGE H. P. FLAGG, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOLE-EDGE TRIMMER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,869, dated November30, 1880.

Application filed April 22, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, CHARLES H. HELMs, ofPoughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, haveinvented a new and Improved Sole-Edge Trimmer for Boots and Shoes; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making part ofthis specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in machines fortrimming the edges of the soles of boots and shoes; and the inventionconsists in a machine for trimming the edges of the soles of boots andshoes, constructed with a series of horizontally-revolving cuttersformirig a hollow cylinder, and arranged so that they may be readilysharpened without removing them from their stock, in combination with ahorizontal and automatic sleeve-rest, vertically adjustable guide andstop fixed to its rear side, and hinged rest or table, all combined andarranged in the manner more particularly hereinafter described.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents a side viewof my soletrimming machine, partly in section; Fig 2, a front View ofsame; Fig. 3, a rear-side view of vertical guide; Figs. at and 5, detailside and cross-sectional views of cutters.

Similarletters of referenceindicate like parts in the several figures.

For the purpose of trimming the edges of the soles of boots and shoes itis essential that not only should the operation be done rapidly, butthat the trimming should be produced by a clean shaving cut that willleave a smooth surface to facilitate the polishing. It is also essentialthat the cutters which produce this shavingtshould be so constructed andarranged that they will not heat, and may be readily sharpened.

To accomplish these desirable results, and at the same time to renderthe operation of trimming the edges of boots and shoes a certain as wellas an easy process, Iconstruct my machine with an arbor, A, suitablysupported in a horizontal position by bearings a b. This arbor has fixedto it a driving-pulley, B, and

(No model.)

to its front end, by means of a chuck or otherwise, a series of cutters,C. These cutters are arranged cylindrically, with the cuttingedges 0 ofeach cutter slightly projecting beyond the surface of its adjoiningcutter, and these cutting-edges are beveled and sharpened to an edgecorresponding to the edge of a knife.

The cutters are separate from each other. and they surround a space, (I.On the upper surface of two or more of these cutters are formedrand-cutters O.

Onto the arbor A, or on a sleeve, G, fitted thereon, and immediately inthe rear of the cutters O, is fitted an adjustable rest, D. This restslides on the sleeve G, and its rear end is in contact with a spiralspring, a, and its front end or face, 0, is beveled. Its sides haveslots f formed in them, through which slots pass stop-screws g.

Suitably supported to an arm, h, or otherwise, is a vertical guide, E.This guide, by reason of a slot, h, and set-screw '5, may be adjustedvertically. The rear side of this guide E has fitted to it a stop orrest, 70, and the under side or'edge of this guide is provided with afin, 1.

Below the adjustable rest D, and supported in any desirable manner, is ahinged. rest, F, with its upper ends curved out to correspond with thecylindrical form of the face of the rest D.

Now, my device for trimming the edges of the soles of boots and shoesbeing constructed substantially as hereinbefore described, its operationis as follows: The shoe or boot to be trimmed is placed with its soleagainst the rest or hinged table F, and with the fin l inserted in thechannel between the upper and the sole, in which position, as thecutters O revolve, by any suitable power, they cut or trim theedge m ofthe sole, the shoe being moved by hand, so that the entire edge of thesole is fed to the action of the cutters, and this trimming of the soleby the cutters is continued until the edge of the sole is brought incontact with the stop or rest 70, which prevents the further cutting ortrimming of the sole. Now, since this stop regulates the cutting ortrimming of the sole it is adjusted vertically, so

that the soles may be trimmed uniformly and to any extent desired byslackening the setscrew t and moving the guide E up or down, as may bedesired. As the cutters G revolve and trim the soles of the boots andshoes the cutters C trim, at the same time, the rand of the sole, and asthe shoe is brought under the action of the cutters to insure a square,clean, and uniform cut, the sole not only bears against the hinged restor table F, but it also bears against the beveled face 6 of the slidingrest 1), by this means enabling the operator to hold his shoe steadilyand to produce square and uniform cuts. Since the soles of boots andshoes vary in thickness it is important that this rest D should beconstructed so as to be adjustable. To that end the rest I) slides onthe sleeve G, surrounding the arbor A, and the spring 0 at all timesexerts a yielding pressure on the rest, so that its front end or face isforced against the sole of the boot, &c., thereby forming a rest for itwhether its sole be thick or thin; and the hinged table F, by reason ofits adjustment, enables the operator to turn the shoe readily, asoccasion may require, and at the same time preserve its sup- .port.

As the cutters O revolve against the edge of the sole of the boot orshoe, their action is to shave or make clean cuts of the leather fromthe edge of the sole; hence very little burnishing is necessary tofinish the sole-edge.

As the cutters revolve at great speed they would, with the ordinaryconstruction, become so much heated that they would burn the leather ofthe sole. To obviate this the cutters are arranged around an opening, d,which, together with the open spaces between each of the cutters,permits the air to play freely about them and keep them cool, besidesenablin g the cutters to be made of thin pieces of metal which cannotretain the heat caused by their friction with the sole-edge to any greatextent; and, besides, this arrangement and construction of the cuttersenables the operator to readily sharpen them when they become dullwithout necessarily removing them from their arbor.

The outer ends of the cutters O are received in to an opening, 92,formed in the vertical guide E, which effectually acts as a guard tothese outers ends of the cutters, preventing any accidental contact ofthem with the shoe when in the hands of the operator, in this waypreserving the shoe from accidental or chance injury from the cutters,and, besides, it insures the cutting of the entire thickness of thesoleedge by one operation, since the sole-edge cannot protrude beyondthe edge of the cutters.'

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device for trimming the edges of the soles of boots and shoes, aseries of cutters arranged cylindriea-lly around the end of an arbor andprojecting therefrom, and surrounding a space, 0?, with their front endsreceived into an opening formed in a vertical guideplate, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. In a device for trimming the edges of the soles of boots and shoes, avertically-adjustable channel-guide with a stop or rest, It, fixed toits rear side, in combination with rotary cutters, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

3. In a device for trimming the edges of the soles of boots and shoes,an automatically-adjustable rest, D, in combination with a hinged tableor rest, F, located below the same, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

4. In a device for trimming the edges of the soles of boots and shoes, aseries of revolving cutters surrounding an opening, 01, in combinationwith a vertically-adjustable guide, E, automatically-adjustablesleeve-rest D, and adjustable table F, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

CHARLES H. HELMS.

Witnesses:

H. L. WATTENBERG, G. M. PLYMPTON.

